Oil spill responder health and safety. Good practice guidelines for incident management and emergency response personnel

Transcription

1 Oi spi responder heath and safety Good practice guideines for incident management and emergency response personne

2 The goba oi and gas industry association for environmenta and socia issues Leve 14, City Tower, 40 Basingha Street, London EC2V 5DE, United Kingdom Teephone: +44 (0) Facsimie: +44 (0) E-mai: Website: Internationa Association of Oi & Gas Producers London office Leve 14, City Tower, 40 Basingha Street, London EC2V 5DE, United Kingdom Teephone: +44 (0) Facsimie: +44 (0) E-mai: Website: Brusses office Bouevard du Souverain 165, 4th Foor, B-1160 Brusses, Begium Teephone: +32 (0) Facsimie: +32 (0) E-mai: Website: IOGP Report 480 Date of pubication: December 2012 IPIECA-IOGP 2012 A rights reserved. No part of this pubication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieva system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, eectronic, mechanica, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of IPIECA. Discaimer Whie every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this pubication, neither IPIECA, IOGP nor any of their members past, present or future warrants its accuracy or wi, regardess of its or their negigence, assume iabiity for any foreseeabe or unforeseeabe use made of this pubication. Consequenty, such use is at the recipient s own risk on the basis that any use by the recipient constitutes agreement to the terms of this discaimer. The information contained in this pubication does not purport to constitute professiona advice from the various content contributors and neither IPIECA, IOGP nor their members accept any responsibiity whatsoever for the consequences of the use or misuse of such documentation. This document may provide guidance suppementa to the requirements of oca egisation. However, nothing herein is intended to repace, amend, supersede or otherwise depart from such requirements. In the event of any confict or contradiction between the provisions of this document and oca egisation, appicabe aws sha prevai.

3 Oi spi responder heath and safety Good practice guideines for incident management and emergency response personne Photographs reproduced courtesy of the foowing: pages 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17 (bottom), 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 (bottom), 26 and 33: Oi Spi Response Limited; page 15 (bottom): BP; front and back covers, and pages 10, 11, 17 (top), 19, 25, 27, 28, 31 and 32: Shutterstock.com; page 24 (top): 2012MediaBakery.

4 IPIECA IOGP Preface This pubication is part of the IPIECA-IOGP Good Practice Guide Series which summarizes current views on good practice for a range of oi spi preparedness and response topics. The series aims to hep aign industry practices and activities, inform stakehoders, and serve as a communication too to promote awareness and education. The series updates and repaces the we-estabished IPIECA Oi Spi Report Series pubished between 1990 and It covers topics that are broady appicabe both to exporation and production, as we as shipping and transportation activities. The revisions are being undertaken by the IOGP-IPIECA Oi Spi Response Joint Industry Project (JIP). The JIP was estabished in 2011 to impement earning opportunities in respect of oi spi preparedness and response foowing the Apri 2010 we contro incident in the Guf of Mexico. The origina IPIECA Report Series wi be progressivey withdrawn upon pubication of the various tites in this new Good Practice Guide Series during Note on good practice Good practice in the context of the JIP is a statement of internationay-recognized guideines, practices and procedures that wi enabe the oi and gas industry to deiver acceptabe heath, safety and environmenta performance. Good practice for a particuar subject wi change over time in the ight of advances in technoogy, practica experience and scientific understanding, as we as changes in the poitica and socia environment. 2

5 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Contents Preface 2 Introduction 4 Management contro 5 Site Safety and Heath Pan (SSHP) 5 Heath and safety briefing and communication 6 Risk assessment 7 Chemica safety issues during oi spi 9 response and cean-up operations Fammabiity 9 Exposive vapours 9 Toxicity 10 Dispacement of oxygen 11 Sipperiness 12 Spi response chemicas and ceaning agents 12 Air monitoring equipment and record keeping 12 The working environment and 13 safety during response operations The working environment 13 Weather 13 The natura environment 16 Night operations 17 Sips, trips and fas 17 Manua handing and equipment ifting 17 Transport of materias/waste disposa 18 Fatigue 19 Other risks 19 Heath-reated activities during response operations 20 Safety during response operations 20 Shoreine response operations 20 Offshore response operations 22 Operations invoving the surface appication 23 of dispersants In-situ burning 24 Aviation operations 24 Personne responsibiity 25 Persona protective equipment 26 Protection for specific areas 27 Eyes 27 Head 27 Body 27 Hands and arms 28 Feet and egs 28 Hearing 28 Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) 28 Summary issues 30 Site faciities 31 Food and water 31 Sanitation and persona hygiene faciities 31 Decontamination 31 Decontamination procedures 31 Decontamination faciities 32 Management of vounteers 33 Vounteer coordination 33 Vounteer responders 34 Widife vounteers 34 Logistics vounteers 34 Food preparation and distribution 34 First-aid squads 34 Concusions 35 References and further reading 36 Appendix 1: Exampe site safety briefing sheet 37 Appendix 2: Exampe site safety survey checkist 38 Appendix 3: Exampe gas testing record sheet 40 Acknowedgements 41 3

6 IPIECA IOGP Introduction When an oi spi occurs, the issue of heath and safety, both for the pubic and oi spi responders, is a serious consideration. It is recognized that heath and safety are managed in many different ways around the word, with highy reguated prescriptive regimes which egisate actions in some countries and risk-based systems in others. It woud be inappropriate to deveop a document that attempted to prescribe a standardized approach to safety or heath, as it woud not succeed in meeting the expectations of at east some part of the community. Instead, this document wi concentrate on identifying the principa issues when an oi spi occurs, their degree of severity, and the practica steps that can be taken to minimize the impact of the spi. Many spis have been ceaned up safey in the past. Because cean-up activities are usuay conducted in the open air, the hazards from vapours and gases are reativey ow, and simpe protective cothing can reduce contact with oi and minimize any chance of harm. Nevertheess, the oi and the working environment do introduce other hazards. The key is to recognize the risks from a sources and to be prepared to act accordingy. Another major issue is iabiity. Heath and safety management systems are used to manage the iabiities that may arise as a resut of an accident, and this document focuses on the practica and technica safety considerations that need to be deat with when responding to an oi spi. However, the potentia for future itigation shoud be borne in mind and scrupuous record keeping shoud be undertaken. Those with we-deveoped heath and safety regimes wi have the procedures in pace but shoud find vaue in the practica guidance provided in this document. Those that do not have such advanced systems shoud find this guide usefu in deveoping pans to dea with the issues that are raised. Athough this document is primariy intended to address oi spis on water, it may aso be of use in the event of an inand spi. This document is divided into eight broad categories, each of which needs to be addressed. They are: management contro; risk assessment; oi and response cean-up chemica safety issues; the working environment and safety during response operations; persona protective equipment (PPE); site faciities; decontamination; and management of vounteers. Each organization wi need to estabish its own strategy to ensure that heath and safety is incorporated into its own spi response provisions. These strategies shoud be reviewed periodicay, taking into account experience and essons earned. 4

7 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Management contro The safety of the genera pubic and responders is assigned the highest priority during spi response operations. A response management system, with safety and heath as its core eements, shoud start from the top and penetrate to a eves within the organizations participating in response activities. The management team shoud appoint an individua and, if necessary, a supporting team, with the skis to undertake responsibiity for safety and heath management. Responders can often become too invoved in operations and not be abe to take an overa view of the situation. The responsibe individua needs to be abe to step back from the operation and consider wider issues such as monitoring and maintaining awareness of active and deveoping situations, assessing hazardous and unsafe situations and deveoping measures to assure personne safety. These measures incude: An initia site assessment with documented processes for: hazard identification; risk assessment; seection of responders, incuding oca abour; provision of contros (e.g. zoning, speciaized equipment and PPE); assessment of training needs, and identification of decontamination areas. Competent personne, i.e. those appropriatey trained and experienced in the issues surrounding spi safety, shoud be used to manage and supervise the response. Deveoping and impementing a Site Safety and Heath Pan (SSHP). Information to deveop the pan can be obtained from competent heath and safety professionas, the risk assessment process and environmenta monitoring. The SSHP shoud be reviewed reguary with regard to the safety and heath impications of the activities proposed or in progress. Participation in panning meetings to identify heath and safety concerns inherent in the operation s daiy work pan, and to emphasize the need to communicate the hazards and mitigation measures to a personne. Correcting unsafe acts or conditions through the reguar ine of authority, athough the responsibe individua shoud be authorized to exercise emergency authority to prevent or stop unsafe acts when immediate action is required. They shoud aso ensure that any accidents or exposures occurring in the course of the spi response are investigated. Estabishing first-aid stations and medica faciities in accordance with the SSHP. It shoud be borne in mind that, in some ocations, the oca coastguard woud assume management contro, jointy if not singy. Site Safety and Heath Pan (SSHP) The responsibe individua shoud ensure the preparation and impementation of the SSHP in accordance with oca and nationa pans and reguations. The SSHP shoud, ideay, address the foowing eements: heath and safety hazard anaysis for each site, task or operation; risk assessment; comprehensive operations work pan; personne training requirements; task-specific fitness requirements; persona protective equipment (PPE) seection criteria; site-specific heath surveiance requirements, bearing in mind oca egisation and the ikeihood of exposure to heath hazards; individua and area air monitoring; 5

8 IPIECA IOGP site contro measures; confined space entry procedures, if needed; pre-entry briefings (initia/daiy/pre-shift); pre-operations heath and safety conference for a incident participants; quaity assurance of SSHP effectiveness; decontamination; and management of data reating to a of the above. Site ayout pans may hep with making peope aware of the risks and the ocation of key safety eements. These shoud be prepared and dispayed at the site command post. A copy shoud be retained at the incident command centre and shoud be revised as conditions at the site change. Heath and safety briefing and communication One of the key methods of managing safety and heath is by the use of briefings (Appendix 1). Ideay, briefings shoud be hed before the start of each shift to pass aong a information necessary to ensure safety on the site. A contractor supervisory personne shoud attend these briefings to pass information to their own teams. A method of rapid communications with a fied sites shoud be incuded in the briefings. The information passed shoud be pitched at the correct eve to suit the audience; for exampe cean-up crews wi require a different content and stye of briefing to the personne in the command centre. The briefings shoud address: work zone characteristics; hazard information on the spied product; contro measures (e.g. PPE); evacuation routes; assemby points; first-aid post ocations; ocation of staging areas; command post ocations; and how to respond to other emergencies that may arise. Briefing the response team prior to a day s operations 6

9 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Risk assessment An overa risk assessment shoud be conducted at the start of a spi. The first task that shoud be undertaken when preparing to conduct oi spi response operations is a comprehensive hazard anaysis and risk assessment. The management team wi firsty need to carry out a high-eve risk assessment of the overa situation as soon as possibe to ensure that oi spi responders or the wider popuation are not in danger. The initia approach shoud be to answer such questions as: Is there a potentia gas coud and therefore an exposion risk? Shoud peope be evacuated or excuded? Is the environment safe for peope? Wi oi enter water systems that may affect peope? This initia assessment may ead to the estabishment of safety or excusion zones whie the area is monitored in more detai. This may incude the use of monitoring equipment to detect fammabe or toxic gases and materias. These types of hazards usuay persist for a short period ony, but this issue is more significant with the more voatie oi types and in cam weather conditions. Monitoring shoud continue unti it can be estabished that the risk has reduced to acceptabe eves. Once the overa situation has been stabiized from a safety point of view, the work of responding to the oi spi can begin. In norma circumstances responders are not ikey to be exposed to areas in which there is an exposion or toxic vapour risk. Speciaist source contro teams, who are trained and equipped to work within these high-risk areas, are the ones most ikey to enter these environments. When responding to a spi the risks posed by particuar operations or ocations shoud be assessed on a case-by-case basis. One way of deaing with this is through the use of a Site Safety Survey Checkist (Appendix 2). When competed by a competent individua from the response team, this can be used to identify the various hazards and determine whether they present a risk. 7

10 IPIECA IOGP Once identified, appropriate contro measures can be taken to mitigate the risks. Those personne invoved in carrying out risk assessments must have sufficient training and knowedge to understand the potentia hazards presented by the operations. The process of risk assessment is intended to identify a of the potentia hazards. Once this has been competed, the probabiity and the severity of any potentia incident shoud be predictabe. Those incidents most ikey to occur frequenty, or those most ikey to cause the greatest harm, shoud be deat with first. Account must be taken of who might be harmed, and how. There are a number of techniques in common use for the assessment of risk. Some rey on descriptive ranking, whie others empoy a numerica scoring system to produce an order of priority. Whatever system is empoyed, it is important that a the assessments are carried out in a consistent manner. Once the ikeihood and severity of risks have been considered, the precautions avaiabe shoud then be examined to determine their effectiveness. If the hazard continues to present a risk then additiona measures shoud be put in pace. There is an accepted hierarchy of approach that may be summarized as foows: 1. Prevent access to the hazard 2. Organize the work in a way that exposure to the hazard is reduced 3. Use PPE The risk assessment shoud be fuy documented and fied. During the conduct of operations the risk from the spied oi wi inevitaby change but many of the physica risk factors in the environment wi remain constant. As a matter of course, the workpace hazards shoud be periodicay reassessed and the suitabiity of previousy seected hazard contros re-evauated. The possibiity of reviewing previous risk assessments wi assist in getting consistency of approach. The Site Safety Survey Checkist shown in Appendix 2 is a means of documenting the hazards at any specific site or those arising from particuar operations. In the main, hazards can be seen to arise from a number of specific areas: the spied substance itsef and response chemicas; the working environment; activities during response operations; machinery used in the cean-up operation; and externa factors. 8

11 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Chemica safety issues during oi spi response and cean-up operations Responses to oi spis inevitaby put responders and chemicas together in the same environment. Potentia exposure of personne shoud be assessed, monitored, and controed if heath effects are to be avoided. Each type of product, when spied into the environment, wi have its own set of chemica characteristics that wi determine the most effective response strategy and, indeed, which techniques are safe to use. It is important to remember that the chemica characteristics of the spiage wi usuay change over a period of time as a resut of what is known as the weathering process, i.e. the action of the eements on the substance and its reaction with the surroundings. The chemica constituents and characteristics of the spied product wi need to be ascertained so that appropriate measures can be taken to protect responders. In the case of a known product this information is presented in a document caed a materia safety data sheet (MSDS). Each MSDS contains a the information required to compete a risk assessment of the chemica constituents and provide the appropriate first-aid measures. In the case of a eak or spi from an exporation site, urgent anaysis of the oi is required to ascertain its properties. Some spis present specific safety risks. Ois, whether in the crude state or as refined products, have hazardous properties that may incude: fammabiity; exposive vapours; toxicity; dispacement of oxygen; and sippery nature. Fammabiity Crude ois, condensates and refined products may be ignited if they are exposed to a source of ignition. The period for which oi remains easiy ignitabe is usuay short because of evaporation of the more voatie components and the incusion of water in the oi if it emusifies. Whist the oi is fresh, care must be taken to excude any potentia sources of ignition from an area to minimize the risk of fire. Responders shoud seect intrinsicay safe equipment, and smoking, sparking toos, vehices or any other potentia source of ignition shoud be kept out of the spi area. Access to the spi operations areas shoud be controed whist any danger of ignition persists. Light products, such as gasoine or kerosene, represent a particuar hazard and specia care shoud be taken when approaching these spis. Exposive vapours When a refined product or voatie crude is spied, there wi be a reease of hydrocarbon vapours during the initia stages of the incident. There is potentia for this vapour coud to drift, under the effects of the prevaiing winds, into a popuated area or to a ocation where there is a possibiity of the vapours being ignited. Safety excusion zones and air monitoring stations may need to be 9

12 IPIECA IOGP estabished to determine the vapour eves to monitor whether or not they are within exposive imits. The reease of vapours may present a specific hazard to interna combustion engines causing them to over-speed uncontroaby if the vapour is sucked into the engine. Interna combustion engines shoud not be operated in areas where a risk of exposion exists. As a precaution, engines that coud be exposed to environments where vapours are present shoud be protected by the fitting of an air inet shut-off device that wi operate if the engine speed exceeds maximum rated imits. Toxicity Athough ois contain potentiay harmfu components, exposure risk can be kept ow if appropriate PPE is worn. The potentiay most serious exposure exists during the initia stages of a spi, particuary when voatie crude ois, condensates or ight refined products are invoved. Toxic components can enter the body via the eyes, skin, mouth and ungs. Aromatic compounds, in particuar benzene, and hydrogen suphide (H 2 S) from sour crudes and natura gases, are major concerns. Whist aromatic products usuay ony persist for a short period of time and wi rapidy disperse in the air, they have direct effects on the centra nervous system causing dizziness, drowsiness and ater unconsciousness and death. Benzene aso targets bone marrow and can cause anaemia and cancer. If potentia exposure is ikey, initia protection shoud be provided using sefcontained breathing apparatus whie assessment is carried out. If assessment demonstrates the presence of benzene concentrations above reguatory imits, an appropriate respiratory protection programme shoud be instituted. Further guidance may be obtained from NIOSH 1, OSHA 2 and HSE 3. Care must be taken to monitor the eves of benzene in the environment and to protect both responders and the pubic from exposure. The eve of aromatics reeased wi be a function of the specific oi type, the surface area of the spi, the temperature and wind conditions at the time of the reease. The risks must be assessed by speciaists and contros impemented to reduce their impact to an acceptabe eve. The potentiay most serious exposure exists during the initia stages of a spi, particuary when voatie crude ois, condensates or ight refined products are invoved. 1 Nationa Institute for Occupationa Safety and Heath (USA) 2 Occupationa Safety and Heath Administration (USA) 3 Heath and Safety Executive (UK) 10

13 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY The presence of hydrogen suphide must aso be monitored. This gas causes eye irritation and coughing, and is particuary toxic to the ungs and centra nervous system. One manifestation of this is that it parayses the ofactory nerves so that, despite its pungent odour, it cannot be detected by the nose after a few breaths. It can aso cause pumonary oedema (fuid accumuation in the ungs) and death. The NIOSH recommended exposure imit is a 10 minute ceiing concentration of 10 ppm (OSHA standard is a 10-minute ceiing at 20 ppm; HSE STEL is 10 ppm over 15 minutes). Responders shoud not normay be operating in an environment where the risk of poisoning from gases such as hydrogen suphide exists, uness they are invoved in source contro, in which case they shoud be wearing chemicay-resistant impervious goves and suits, gogges and sef-contained breathing apparatus with a fu facepiece and under positive pressure. There can be particuar concern for the pubic if there is a possibiity that a gas coud from an incident coud drift into residentia or popuated areas. If the eves are extremey high, for exampe due to the bow out of a sour crude we or the reease of a arge quantity of sour crude oi, evacuation shoud be considered as a sensibe precaution. If the presence of hydrogen suphide is suspected based on information usuay gained from the producer or the shipper of the oi, a monitoring system shoud be estabished to determine the eves, incuding use of H 2 S aarms. Once the eve of gas present has reduced to acceptabe eves, responders shoud be provided with persona monitoring equipment to monitor their persona exposure, and their working time shoud be imited so as not to exceed occupationa exposure imits. Oi and some of the chemica compounds used in ceanup operations can have a degreasing effect on skin, eading to irritation and dermatitis, and can aso be absorbed through damaged skin causing toxic effects internay. Persona protective equipment in the form of goves, boots and suits needs to be managed with care; if the inner surfaces of the PPE are contaminated, absorption of the chemica wi be enhanced and damage to skin and interna organs exacerbated. Decontamination faciities shoud be estabished which permit responders to remove oied cothing in a controed environment, and which provide them with access to suitabe washing faciities, in particuar before mea times when contaminated hands can ead to the ingestion of chemicas. Persona protective equipment, e.g. goves, boots and suits, needs to be managed with care to prevent the inner surfaces becoming contaminated. Dispacement of oxygen Hydrocarbon gases can dispace the oxygen (O 2 ) in an environment, particuary when they coect in confined spaces or trenches that are not adequatey ventiated, eading to a risk of asphyxiation for those entering. Oxygen content readings shoud be taken prior to entering any confined space, trench or area where reduced ventiation may ead to an accumuation of hydrocarbon vapours. Entry shoud ony be permitted if readings in excess of 19.5% O 2 are confirmed uness an independent oxygen source is used. Such areas shoud be monitored continuay, entry by responders controed using a permit to work system, and the appropriate tank entry procedures impemented. 11

14 IPIECA IOGP Sipperiness The most common form of accident encountered during spi operations resuts from sips, trips or fas. Many of the products encountered are, by their very nature, sippery. Sips, trips and fas on oied surfaces are some of the main causes of injury, and awareness of these hazards shoud be raised. Responders can aso find it difficut to hande equipment when wearing oiy goves, increasing the time taken to compete famiiar tasks and making some more compicated tasks impossibe without decontaminating the equipment first. Spi response chemicas and ceaning agents A number of chemica materias, such as dispersants and sovent-based ceaners, are used when responding to oi spis and specia care must be taken when handing them. Most products are provided with guidance notes on the risks, use and handing of the materia, and this information shoud be made avaiabe to a those handing the product. When handing dispersant chemicas, goves, gogges and protective cothing shoud be worn and proonged contact with the skin avoided, as many of the materias are hydrocarbon based and can cause dermatitis. Simiar precautions shoud be taken when handing sovent chemicas used for ceaning, as these can contain more aromatic components. Specia care shoud be taken in the use of respiratory protection with the appropriate fiter cartridges. A fu discussion of the safety impications of dispersant use is provided under Dispersant Response Operations on page 23). Air monitoring equipment and record keeping Conducting air monitoring in the vicinity of the spi site Air monitoring to determine potentia exposures can be conducted through the use of a range of environmenta and persona monitors. The type, eve and frequency of monitoring shoud be based on the particuar circumstances and be guided by an environmenta or industria hygiene speciaist. An exampe of an air monitoring record is shown in Appendix 3. It is essentia that accurate records of air quaity are kept to inform protective measures necessary for personne and to provide evidence to defend future caims. 12

15 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY The working environment and safety during response operations The working environment Oi spis can occur in practicay any type of environment, and under a cimatic and meteoroogica conditions. This poses a number of chaenges to responders and has an overriding infuence on the response options avaiabe. Some aspects of the working environment (such as site ayout, security, working shifts) may be controed by the responders themseves. Others, incuding the weather and the terrain, must be given consideration and accommodated when response targets are set. In every working environment, safety must remain the top priority, and measures to contro any risks put in pace. Weather Extremes of temperature, humidity and precipitation a pace considerabe strain on human performance (IOGP-IPIECA, 2008). In the case of heat, work performance decines especiay where the task requires coordination, aertness or vigiance, and resuts in an increased risk of accidents. In the case of cod, by reducing comfort, cod may ead to reduced performance as we as reduced safety (see Figure 1). The effects of cod on menta performance seem to be caused mainy by distraction. Studies show a cear reationship between skin temperature and manua performance (see Tabe 1). As a first response to the cod, heat oss is reduced by a reduction of bood fow to the periphera areas of the body, causing discomfort in the hands and feet. When musces are cod they are ess efficient. With progressive owering of tissue Figure 1 Accident risk based on temperature temperature, manua dexterity is ost and numbness is produced. Heath probems due to extreme heat and humidity incude musce fatigue and fainting (heat syncope). Skin probems can occur due to excess sweating and sat oss, together with irritation and rubbing of cothing eading to minor cuts and abrasions. Pricky heat, sunburn and windburn can occur, and increased sweating and humidity can ead to skin infections. More serious heat-reated conditions are heat cramps, due to sat depetion, and heat exhaustion. Symptoms of the atter incude headache, accident risk outside temperature ( C) Adapted from Ramsey, et a.,

16 IPIECA IOGP Tabe 1 Effects of cod on manua performance Hand skin temperature ( C) ( F) < <50 Effect on performance Optima hand and finger function Effects on finger dexterity, precision and speed Impaired performance in work with sma detais, reduced endurance Impaired performance of gross finger work Reduced gross musce strength and coordination, pain sensation Numbness, manua performance reduced to simpe gripping, pushing, etc. fatigue, dizziness, confusion and coapse. Heat exhaustion is more ikey to occur in the dehydrated, the unfit, the edery and those with high bood pressure, emphasizing the need for carefu seection and training of responders and vounteers. The most serious condition, heat stroke, occurs when the body s coping mechanisms are overwhemed and core temperature rises rapidy. This is a medica emergency and requires urgent speciaist paramedic and physician treatment. Heath probems due to the cod incude chibains, trench foot, often occurring when wet socks are worn for ong periods, painfu fissuring of the fingertips, frostnip of the ears, nose and cheeks, and more seriousy frostbite. This is the freezing of deeper as we as superficia tissues, and usuay affects the fingers, toes, nose, cheeks and ears. A these conditions can be prevented by care in the training of responders and provision of protective cothing, together with robust provision of first aid. The most serious condition due to cod exposure is hypothermia, chiing of the body s core temperature beow 35 C (95 F). This again is a medica emergency and requires speciaist paramedic and physician intervention. In a weather extremes, suitabe and sufficient contro measures need to be provided and might incude: Provision of communications equipment and accurate weather forecasting. Environmenta contros: in hot cimates, shade from the sun whenever possibe and aways during break periods, together with air cooing when feasibe; in cod conditions, provision of heated sheters and shieding from the wind. Work practices: a buddy system is usefu for work in extreme cimates so that each member of a pair can watch out for eary warning signs of excessive heat or cod stress in the other person. Monitors peope trained in the recognition and management of heat stress and the eary symptoms of cod are particuary usefu. Sensibe work scheduing and breaks are essentia not ony for preventing i heath but aso for increasing productivity. Mechanica assistance where possibe in heat heps to reduce the physica requirements of the job and subsequent interna heat generation. Job rotation and frequent breaks, together with access to coo fuids in the heat and warm energizing drinks in cod conditions a hep. Aowing onger to compete work in extreme cimates reduces the risk of heath probems. Accimatization this is a gradua physioogica adaptation that improves an individua s abiity to toerate heat stress, but does not remove the need to have heat exposure contros in pace. It takes about a week to become 90% accimatized to high heat eves and is done by starting at a reduced pace on the first day and graduay increasing the amount of work and duration of exposure to heat each day for the first week. This has impications for how rotations are organized as some accimatization is ost during eave or absence due to iness. 14

17 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Training this shoud take pace at induction and then as needed throughout the response. It shoud invove the basics of body temperature physioogy, hazards reated to sunight and acoho, the importance of food and water, cothing requirements, the recognition of temperaturereated symptoms and signs and the potentia for other inesses to impact on toerance ot extremes of heat and cod. Speciaized cothing (PPE): a) Cothing for the heat: this shoud be oose fitting with a ayer of air between skin and cothing to aid evaporation of perspiration. Cothes shoud be ight in weight, and aso ight in coour as this refects heat, whie dark cothes absorb the heat. Cothes made of thin cotton fabrics are idea as they hep evaporate the sweat by picking it up and bringing it to the surface. Most synthetic fibres increase sweating, interfere with evaporation and increase the risk of funga infections. Protection of the head, ears, nose and back of the neck from direct sunight, and the use of good quaity sungasses, are a must. Chemica suits, goves, hats and respirators a diminish heat oss via evaporation and increase the risk of heat stress so account must be taken of this when designing work schedues and rest breaks. b) Cothing for the cod: we-designed cothing is a major surviva factor and a baance shoud be struck between the use of PPE, incuding the use of speciaized cothing, and aowance of extra time to perform tasks due to the encumbrance of extra ayers. During periods of high activity and excess heat production, probems may arise due to sweat production and evaporation processes. Sweat accumuated in garments during work may resut in cod stress due to either the reduced insuation vaue of damp cothing or evaporation of the accumuated sweat after cessation of work or exercise. In cod conditions where accumuation of sweat in cothing is difficut to avoid, it is preferabe that the sweat accumuates as far from the skin as possibe. Muti-ayered cothing is idea, with an inner ayer (underwear) for moisture absorption and transport, a midde ayer (shirt, sweater) for insuation and moisture transport, and an outer ayer (wind breaker, arctic cothing, rain gear) for protection against the externa environment 15

18 IPIECA IOGP and for moisture transport. As in the case of heat, head and neck protection is necessary, but in this case to prevent heat oss. Hand protection against the cod needs to be chemicay resistant if it is intended for use in spi response operations, and the ack of manua dexterity due to wearing goves shoud aso be borne in mind. Shoes shoud be arge enough to aow insuation by trapped air, and shoud aso be of materias that aow ventiation of water vapour. Socks shoud provide insuation and faciitate transport of sweat as far from the skin as possibe (e.g. woo, aone or in combination with poypropyene). Heath assessment for fitness to work: it is easier to survive in extreme heat or cod when medicay fit and in good heath. Seection of peope for work in extremes of temperature requires a heath assessment by a doctor with knowedge of the working conditions and requirements of the job. The same standards as those appied to work on offshore rigs or remote ocations (IOGP-IPIECA, 2011) shoud be appied to determine a responder s fitness to work in the heat or cod. Potentia contraindications to work in extremes of temperature incude respiratory or cardiovascuar probems, severe obesity, acoho abuse, pregnancy and some medications, but in a cases it is essentia that an individua risk assessment is undertaken to avoid needessy excuding someone from work for which they are quaified. The natura environment The environment in which a spi can occur can range from exposed shoreines to rugged and remote mountains in the case of pipeine spis. Safe access and egress must be arranged for vehices and pedestrians with account being taken of shoreine type (mud, ciffs, mangroves etc.) and tida patterns and ranges. Care must be taken that workers and equipment are not cut off by rising tides when working on shoreines. In the case of inand spis, each ocaity wi present its own unique set of chaenges that must be overcome, incuding accessibiity, gradients, watercourse fow rate and depth, and water tabe characteristics. 16

19 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Athough indigenous fora and fauna are often an important ecoogica and environmenta resource, they can present a very rea safety issue. Poisonous pants and dangerous animas need to be identified, and their appearance pubicized to the responders aong with information on how to dea with the threat they present. Of greater concern are those creatures that may actuay attack humans both in the sea and on dry and. Where these possibiities exist, expert advice must be obtained and adequate protection provided. Expert advice shoud be obtained where there is the possibiity of being harmed by indigenous species. Night operations Night operations present particuar risks for workers. Uness adequate ighting can be guaranteed to ensure that responders can have safe and secure access to the worksite, and that an acceptabe eve of operationa efficiency can be guaranteed, night cean-up operations shoud be avoided. It is difficut to see oi in ow ight conditions and the risk of sips, trips or fas increases dramaticay. Worker fatigue wi increase through night working and the operationa benefits of this work need to be assessed. A baance wi need to be struck in very hot environments in which the ony comfortabe time to work may be after sunset. Offshore appication of surface dispersants, particuary from aircraft is not recommended during night time conditions as there are inherent safety and operationa efficiency issues. Sips, trips and fas As mentioned previousy, the most common hazard to responders is the danger from sips, trips or fas. Oi spis can occur in ocations where access to the work site is difficut. The probem is compounded when the surface is coated with oi, but rocky shoreines can be naturay sippery due to seaweed, wet rocks or mud. Safe and secure access must be provided for the workforce to prevent the possibiity of injury. When working on the shoreine, it is advisabe for responders to keep cear of ciffs or rocky shoreines unti a safe means of access has been provided, either in the form of access bridges or guide ropes. Cean-up crews shoud be warned of the hazards of any particuar site access and be given information on the safest access routes. Sips, trips and fas are aso an issue when working on vesses invoved in offshore operations. Responders shoud beware of faing into the water and must wear persona fotation devices at a times. Decks can become extremey sippery when coated in oi. Towing ines and equipment hoses add to the potentia trip hazards. Good seamanship to maintain cean and tidy decks is an important factor in reducing the hazard. Manua handing and use of ifting equipment Care must be taken by responders when ifting recovered waste bags or equipment. Where possibe ifting equipment shoud be used. If manua handing is required, the oads shoud be restricted to manageabe proportions and persons instructed in the proper ifting techniques. When using ifting equipment, responders shoud be provided with safety hemets and ony those trained in the operation of the equipment shoud be permitted to use it. Providing safe access to the worksite is critica to reducing the risk of accidents. 17

20 IPIECA IOGP Transport of materias/waste disposa When oi is recovered it is usuay stored in temporary pits on the shoreine. These pits shoud be cordoned off from the pubic. Safe and secure access shoud be provided for vehices deivering or removing materia. The pits shoud be we marked with suitabe signage to warn any person against accidentay faing into them. Oi spis require significant ogistics support with regard to the transportation of equipment, and the use of speciaist vehices and personne transport. To prevent degradation of oca roads, care must be taken to avoid secondary contamination beyond the initiay oied areas. Transport ceaning stations wi need to be estabished to prevent oi being transferred into pubic areas and causing potentia safety hazards. Temporary storage tanks must be ceary marked, and secondary poution shoud be avoided. Box 1 Transport tips Right: there are potentia risks from the use of heavy machinery in pubic paces. Vehice ceaning stations shoud be provided at shoreine access points. Vehices must meet road icencing requirements. Responders must not be transported on vehice oad beds or on the back of pickup trucks. Cean-up operations generate arge quantities of soid waste and iquids that must be stored, sorted and disposed of through an approved process or procedure. The transport of materias wi often require speciaized vehices. In most cases, icences wi need to be obtained from the oca authorities to aow on-site storage, transportation and disposa of oiy waste. 18

21 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Fatigue Fatigue Management Pans (FMPs) are becoming increasingy common in the oi and gas industry (IOGP-IPIECA, 2007). An FMP is a framework designed to enabe operationa and empoyee concerns regarding fatigue to be addressed in a preven tative manner. The aim of an FMP is to maintain, and when possibe, enhance safety, performance and productivity and manage the risk of fatigue in the workpace. FMPs typicay incude the foowing fundamenta components (Baker and Ferguson, 2004): a) Poicy A document formay outining the approach, commitment and accountabiity, incuding a requirement for interna and externa auditing processes. b) Training A training and education programme to enabe empoyees and managers to identify the signs and symptoms of fatigue, and to adopt coping strategies in and outside the workpace. c) Tracking incidents: metrics A programme for the tracking and understanding of a incidents, accidents and near misses. These events shoud be potted for time of day, day of roster, hours of prior wakefuness and seep ength in order to determine the roe that the roster and seep oss may have payed in the event. d) Support Medica and we-being support that incudes diagnosis of seep disorders and other heath probems causing seep disturbance, treatment of seep probems and, where necessary, referras to genera practitioners, psychoogists, counseors and seep cinics. Other risks There are other risks that need to be considered, especiay when dispatching responders internationay. Some parts of the word have their own inherent dangers and these must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Professiona advice from embassies and government departments, or from speciaist security and medica companies, wi need to be sought in order to make an informed judgement on how to proceed. Support and advice shoud be sought from the in-country staff as to the actua risk conditions on the ground at the spi ocation. Issues to be considered incude: trave arrangements (routes, visas, couriers); airine safety; accommodation; food hygiene; exposure to endemic diseases (e.g. maaria, yeow fever) and the need for any protective measures; anguage; interpreters, transation of documents; risk of hijack or kidnap; any country-specific risks such as terrorism, civi war, unexpoded ordnance; and evacuation. The extent and potentia threat of these issues must be taken into account before committing responders to any particuar activity. If there is a risk, suitabe and appropriate countermeasures and pans shoud be estabished, communicated and tested. 19

22 IPIECA IOGP Heath-reated activities during response operations The arduous nature of response activities increases the risk of iness and injury to responders. Often they are undertaking difficut tasks, under pressure and in unfamiiar surroundings. Preventative measures need to be taken to protect responders from infectious diseases and from other heath effects of the oi-contaminated environment. The responsibe individua must ensure that competent advice is avaiabe to determine fitness and vaccination needs before personne are depoyed and requirements for first aid, medica staffing and faciities, and medica evacuation once they are in the response area. There shoud be designated first-aiders, appropriatey trained, in each ocation, and access to emergency medica technicians (EMTs), paramedics, nurses and physicians shoud be faciitated as appropriate. The company may need to provide such personne themseves or use community professionas and faciities; whatever the case there shoud be seamess communication and working between the two. Fitness for work of both responders and vounteers can be a major issue when potentiay hundreds of individuas are joining every day. Baseine heath information shoud be coected wherever possibe and inked to fitness requirements where oca egisation permits. In compex environments with mutipe activities and potentia exposures, foow-up heath studies become important. Appropriate coection of baseine data incuding contact detais is essentia, and an assessment on competion of the work assignment is recommended. Eectronic methods of data coection, e.g. portabe tabets, shoud be considered. Heath records must be kept on any responder or vounteer who undergoes a fitness assessment or who receives emergency advice or treatment. Safety during response operations Shoreine response operations The majority of response activities occur on shoreines. The proximity to water presents its own set of hazards which give rise to increased risks, particuary among inexperienced or unfamiiar responders. Notaby, tides, currents and waves contribute to creating a dynamic environment that can catch out the unwary and therefore need constant monitoring and reassessment. Shoreine depoyments require extensive management. The nature of shoreine depoyments often poses probems in terms of communications, access and movement of heavy equipment, together with the provision of adequate first aid and evacuation resources. Ciffs, mud and treacherous terrain increase the difficuties in providing these arrangements. Uness access to spi sites and contaminated areas is propery controed, the oca popuation can be exposed to 20

23 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Box 2 Shoreine response safety tips Test for poisonous or exposive gases, estabishing excusion zones where necessary. Create safe access and egress sips and fas on arge bouder fieds are a significant cause of injuries. Ensure adequate manpower to achieve the task safey. Ensure adequate safety briefings (see Appendix 1) and supervision. Be aware of tida conditions. Provide sheter, rest periods and nourishment for responders. Empoy a buddy system to avoid one working. Never permit entry into excavations; aways ceary mark storage pits on shoreines. Reassess operations if weather deteriorates, especiay if a heavy sea is running. Ensure adequate first aid, medica response and medica evacuation arrangements are in pace. Maintain good communications to further minimize risks. risks from which they are not protected. Additionay, vehices and persons entering the spi area may generate secondary contamination and possiby cause unnecessary damage to sensitive environmenta resources. It is essentia that shoreine responders are trained to recognize the hazards present in their working environment, and are provided with adequate means to contro the risks. Shoreine cean-up operations need to be managed carefuy to prevent accidents. 21

24 IPIECA IOGP Offshore response operations High seas conditions can make vesse operation hazardous. Offshore working can take pace either on fixed instaations or on vesses. These environments have their own specia practices and procedures that shoud be foowed in order to remain safe. Inexperienced or uninitiated responders are at increased risk when operating offshore and, where possibe, reguar oca workers acting as safety escorts shoud accompany them. A persona fotation device must be worn by a responders working offshore and in vesses, because swimming abiity is impaired by cothing such as boots and hemets. Vesses engaged in offshore response work shoud be suitaby sized and equipped to dea with the environment. Adequate and suitabe safety and communications equipment shoud be instaed on the vesses. Crews shoud be trained and competent in the operation of the vesses and responders shoud be trained and fuy briefed on their responsibiities. It cannot be overstressed that the hazards faced in the offshore environment mutipy as a resut of poor weather, oied decks and equipment, and congested work areas. Lines and chains used for ashing and towing have the potentia to cause serious injuries and must be checked periodicay, especiay in high seas. A communications system shoud be estabished to permit a vesses working offshore to be abe to report any emergencies and provide operations status reports. A system of notifying craft of any adverse weather reports shoud be estabished as a precaution, and is particuary important when sma craft are engaged in nearshore response operations. Box 3 Offshore response safety tips Test for poisonous or exposive gases, estabishing excusion zones where necessary. Lines and chains used for ashing and towing have the potentia to cause serious injuries and must be checked periodicay, especiay in high seas. Keep the decks as cean as possibe hazards faced in the offshore environment mutipy as a resut of poor weather, oied decks and equipment, and congested work areas. Ensure that a responders are famiiar with the equipment to be used. Ensure that a responders are famiiar with the vesse emergency procedures. Deck operations aways carry the hazard of drowning so a persona fotation device must be worn. Ensure adequate safety briefings (see Appendix 1) and supervision. Secure equipment with tag ines when ifting using deck cranes Maintain good communications between the bridge and the deck to further minimize risks. Provide sheter, rest periods and nourishment for responders. Reassess operations if weather deteriorates, especiay if a heavy sea is running. Ensure adequate first aid, medica response and medica evacuation arrangements are in pace. 22

25 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Operations invoving the surface appication of dispersants The use of dispersant chemicas to treat spied oi brings with it a number of heath and safety issues that must be addressed. Specificay, the chemicas can pose a hazard to heath and the methods of appication can eave unprotected responders open to various modes of exposure. It is essentia that any dispersant chemicas seected have a materia safety data sheet with advice on protective measures and first aid, and that the advice given is foowed. Modes of exposure incude: Breathing aeroso mists: when operations present this risk, appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) (see the section on PPE on pages 26 30) must be worn by a responders during spraying operations, whether spraying from vesses or operating aircraft systems. On vesses, a norma doors and windows shoud remain cosed during spraying operations, to protect crew members ocated within the accommodation, inside the engine room or on the bridge. On arger vesses, there is the potentia for dispersant mist to enter the forced air engine room ventiation. In this case, it is advisabe for engine room personne to use deck operations PPE during spraying operations. Dispersant mist may aso have a detrimenta effect on engines if sucked into air inets. Specia care shoud be taken to protect a personne when spraying is conducted in windy conditions. Ingestion: respirators shoud be used to prevent swaowing of any dispersant mist. Persona hygiene practices must be rigorousy appied to prevent the possibiity of dispersant ingestion during mea breaks. Absorption through the skin: dispersant is readiy absorbed by the skin and can cause irritation or organ damage. Protective cothing is required during oading and transfer operations and for boat spraying. Hand protection is aso required when couping/disconnecting dispersant hoses during the operation of fixed-wing aircraft systems. Spashes to the eyes: chemica gogges are required where spash risk exists, e.g. during oading and transfer operations, both for boat and fixed-wing aircraft operations. If dispersant is spashed into the eyes it shoud be washed out immediatey and then medica attention sought. Eye wash bottes shoud be provided wherever there is a risk of spashes into the eyes. Box 4 Dispersant response operation safety tips Assess the routes of possibe exposure to dispersant chemica. Provide PPE to guard against each and every route, ensuring that a PPE is compatibe and fits the wearer. Keep decks cear and dispersant free by reguar washing. Appropriate PPE must be worn by a responders during spraying operations, whether spraying from vesses or operating aircraft systems. Head spray vesses into wind where possibe. Make sure that the PPE is resistant to the dispersant in use. Avoid uncontroed reeases of dispersant. Aways refer to the Materia Safety Data Sheets. 23

26 IPIECA IOGP Controed in-situ burning Beow: the heath and safety risks associated with the in-situ burning of an oi sick cannot be understated. As with dispersant response operations, controed in-situ burning aso brings with it a number of heath and safety issues, for exampe when using igniters and towing ignited sicks, and during burning operations where there is the potentia for inhaation of particuates (ARPEL, 2006). Box 5 Controed in-situ burning safety tips Estabish a thorough heath and safety pan before the operation begins. Monitor the operation continuousy to determine any need for a reassessment of the burn situation. Consider the use of both aeria surveiance for increased visibiity, and surveiance from a arger vesse capabe of carrying additiona monitoring and firefighting capabiity. Try to anticipate potentia difficuties in a burn operation (e.g. encountering thick sicks that coud burn out of contro) so that these situations may be avoided from the outset. Carefuy assess the properties and characteristics of the oi to be burned in order to avoid serious injury caused by vapour fashback. Do not attempt to burn a sick that coud fash back to the source (e.g. a tanker) or a popuated area. Aviation operations Aircraft can pay a significant roe in response operations. Response strategies often incude the use of aircraft. This may be for reconnaissance, transport or for dispersant spraying. Aircraft operations, airfieds, and indeed aircraft themseves, present numerous hazards that must be identified and controed. Briefings shoud be provided to passengers by the aircrew on the safety aspects of the specific aircraft type and the ocation and use of safety equipment. Care must be taken by personne whist on the airport not to enter areas in which aircraft are operating without first gaining the necessary permission from the airport staff or aircrew. Box 6 Aviation safety tips Never wak across airfied aprons without an escort. When approaching or eaving aircraft, care must be taken to avoid the intakes, exhausts, propeers and rotor bades. A rotating heicopter bade may pass near to the ground particuary when iding: personne shoud aways crouch when approaching or departing from a heicopter with turning rotors, and shoud proceed in the direction advised by the aircraft crew. Approach to an aircraft shoud ony be made when directed by the piot or crew, and the route shoud remain in the piot s fied of view. Briefings must be provided to passengers by the aircrew on the safety aspects of the aircraft and the ocation and use of the exits and ife saving equipment provided. Particuar attention shoud be paid to hearing protection and the wearing of high visibiity garments when working on airfieds. Loose objects pose a threat to aircraft safety and shoud be controed. This incudes itter, nuts and bots, packing cases and hats. 24

27 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Personne responsibiity Whatever the working environment, safety can be consideraby improved if personne watch out for each other as we as for themseves. The working environment in a spi situation changes constanty, and responders need to be abe to adjust to the changing conditions to mitigate any potentia injury or oss. Aong with physica and chemica factors, other factors aso affect the working environment. Working ong hours under hot and dry, humid, or cod, damp and windy conditions aong with extended periods away from home can quicky ead to fatigue. As fatigue sets in the abiity to exercise good judgement and decision making decreases rapidy. Equipment operation and working on deck becomes more dangerous as fatigue becomes more pronounced. Personne injuries, unexpected environmenta discharges, and property damage potentiay can a resut from fatigue. Safe working is dependent upon the experience and training of the invoved personne and the continued cose attention to safety procedures. Safety can be consideraby improved if personne watch out for each other as we as for themseves. 25

28 IPIECA IOGP Persona protective equipment A propery-equipped and we-motivated team is a major asset. Persona protective equipment (PPE) is defined as any equipment which is to be worn or hed by a person at work and that is designed to protect that person against one or more risks to their heath or safety. It ranges from simpe goves requiring the minimum of instruction in use to sophisticated breathing apparatus where medica seection and training is required. It is vita to emphasize that use of PPE is not, in itsef, the ony risk contro method, but rather the ast item in the hierarchy of contro measures. However, in most oi spi circumstances it is inevitabe that personne wi come into cose contact with the oi and/or dispersants and PPE wi be a necessity. The proper seection and use of PPE requires ski and experience. The foowing points shoud be taken into consideration when seecting the appropriate PPE: the expected working conditions and hazards; the activities to be performed; the person(s) being exposed; and the compatibiity of the equipment each item of PPE shoud be capabe of performing effectivey without hindering the proper operation of other items. Consideration shoud aso be given to the nature of the task and the demands paced on the worker, incuding: the physica effort required to do the job; the methods of work invoved; how ong the PPE wi need to be worn; the need for adequate vision and communications whist wearing the items; whether high-cost, durabe equipment or ower-cost disposabe items be seected; and whether the task is critica to the overa cean-up. Seection of the correct type of persona protective equipment is critica. 26

29 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY The working environment wi often dictate the PPE seection criteria. For exampe, cod weather environments require the use of thermay-insuating cothing. This type of cothing can be rendered unusabe if it comes into contact with iquid ois, hence a robust and we-seaed impermeabe ayer shoud be worn above the cod weather cothing. Conversey, in hot cimates, impermeabe cothing wi exacerbate any heat-reated heath probems. Workers shoud therefore be given adequate rest breaks and iquids to assure their wefare, or an acceptabe compromise shoud be reached in the type of PPE that they wear. PPE shoud not be issued without information and training in its use, imitations, maintenance and when it shoud be repaced. Without this, its effectiveness wi be severey reduced. Proper decontamination and ceaning faciities shoud be provided so that the equipment remains in a good condition for as ong as possibe. Without these faciities PPE suppies wi be wasted, straining suppy ines and reducing cost-effectiveness. Where possibe, systems shoud be estabished to ensure that workers remain responsibe for the condition of their own PPE. Simpe systems which require workers to hand in used PPE before new stocks are issued wi assist in the contro of waste. Separate disposa faciities for used PPE shoud be estabished to segregate the waste. It is important to ensure that suitabe repacement PPE is aways readiy avaiabe. By taking an activity-based approach to PPE seection, a response organization is abe to set some working parameters. These shoud incude mechanica protection, the eements/cimate, and hazardous substances. The safety manager and/or an industria hygienist can determine the most suitabe type of PPE, bearing in mind manufacturers and suppiers instructions. Records shoud be kept of seection, maintenance and testing of PPE. Protection for specific areas Eyes Hazard: chemica or meta spash, dust, projecties, gas and vapour, radiation. PPE: safety spectaces, gogges, face shieds, visors, a specific to the hazard invoved. Head Hazard: impact from faing or fying objects, risk of head bumping, hair entangement. PPE: a range of hemets and bump caps. Body Hazard: temperature extremes, adverse weather, chemica or meta spash, spray from pressure eaks or spray guns, impact or penetration, contaminated dust, excessive wear or entangement of own cothing. PPE: conventiona or disposabe overas, boier suits, high-visibiity cothing and speciaist protective cothing, e.g. for chemica exposure. Manufacturers charts wi specify which product is recommended for which chemica. The type of PPE used must be suited to the cimatic conditions. Persona fotation devices wi be needed by boat crews and any responders working in water. 27

30 IPIECA IOGP Hands and arms Hazard: abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicas, skin infection or contamination. PPE: goves, gauntets. Goves differ in design, materia and thickness. No gove materia wi protect against a substances and no goves wi protect against a specific substance forever. Gove manufacturers charts wi show how we their goves perform against different substances. Feet and egs Hazard: wet, sipping, cuts and punctures, faing objects, chemica spash, abrasion. PPE: safety boots and shoes with protective toe caps and penetration-resistant mid-soe, gaiters, eggings, spats. Some chemicas penetrate eather easiy. Manufacturers information wi hep determine what materia the footwear or boots shoud be made from. Hearing Hazard: noise at eves of 85 dba or more PPE: ear defenders (hearing protection devices) in the form of pugs or muffs, with an eement of persona seection Any compusory hearing protection zones shoud be marked ceary and responders trained in the use and care of their defenders. These shoud be suitabe for the working environment and compatibe with other PPE, e.g. masks, hemets and eye protection. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) RPE is designed to protect the wearer against inhaation of hazardous substances in the air (see Box 7 on page 29). There are two main types of RPE: Respirators (fitering devices): these use fiters to remove contaminants in the workpace air. They shoud never be used for protection in situations with reduced oxygen eves. Breathing apparatus (BA): this requires a suppy of breathing quaity air from an air cyinder or compressor and is used for protection in situations with reduced oxygen eves. Both types of RPE are avaiabe with a range of different facepieces: Masks are tight-fitting facepieces (fitering facepieces, haf and fu face masks) and rey on having a good sea with the wearer s face. They can be part of both respirators and BA, and fit testing must be carried out. Masks become uncomfortabe to wear for periods over an hour. Hoods, hemets and suits usuay have oose-fitting facepieces which rey on enough cean air being provided to the wearer to prevent contaminant eaking in. They are ony used on fanpowered respirators and/or air-fed equipment. 28

31 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Box 7 Types of hazardous substances Substances can exist as soids, iquids or gases: Particuate soids incude aerosos, dusts, smokes and fume. Fumes are generated by vaporization of soids and condensation into fine partices. Smokes are formed by the incompete combustion of materias. If the soid particuates are very fine, they can behave ike gases and vapours and move with air currents. In this way, they can be transported quite a ong way from the source of emission. Liquids can exist as dropets or as finer sprays and mists in air or other gases. Gases behave in the same way as air; vapours are the gaseous forms of substances which normay exist as a soid or iquid at room temperature. Any items of headwear, spectaces with side arms or facia hair can interfere with the sea to the face when wearing tight-fitting facepieces, and can ead to eakage. If this cannot be eiminated, a oose-fitting facepiece shoud be considered. Air-purifying respirators (see Box 8) must be fitted with a fiter, of which there are three main types: Partice fiters: these trap and hod partices from the air fowing through them. They do not trap gases or vapours incuding organic iquid mists and sprays, or give any protection against oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Gas/vapour fiters: these are designed to remove gases or vapours, as specified by the manufacturer. They do not protect against partices or oxygen-deficient atmospheres, and their capacity for removing gases and vapours is imited. Combined fiters: these provide protection against partices, gases and vapours. If oxygen deficiency is possibe, ony breathing apparatus shoud be considered. Box 8 Air-purifying respirator tips Aways: Ensure the compete device is in good working order before putting it on, even when new. Make sure the mask fits and a good sea between the mask and the face is achieved before starting work, incuding the wearer being cean shaven if appropriate. Make sure the fiters are the right ones for the work and repace them when used or damaged. Use a the straps provided, making sure they are correcty positioned and adjusted. Foow the manufacturer s instructions. Fit two identica fiters to a twin-fiter mask. Cean and store the mask propery pay specia attention to the vaves. Never: Use the mask to protect against ack of oxygen or gases/vapours. Use it to protect against partices, uness a partice fiter is incorporated. Use it if dirty, damaged or incompete. Leave the mask ying around in the workpace dust wi get inside and wi be inhaed next time the mask is used. 29

32 IPIECA IOGP Box 9 Suppied-air breathing apparatus tips Aways: Ensure the compete device is in good working order before putting it on, even when new. Ensure that there is an adequate suppy of cean breathing air. Anchor the hose inet in cean air. Look after the suppy hose during use. Cean and store the equipment propery, paying specia attention to vaves. Never: Use the device without training, fit testing or medica cearance. Use it if dirty, damaged or incompete. Use the equipment without the waist bet. Keep working if the fow rate drops eave the work area immediatey. Pace the inet near to potentia sources of contamination, e.g. vehice exhausts. Leave the equipment ying around in the workpace as any contamination wi be breathed in the next time it is used. Specia considerations for RPE (see Box 9) Visua carity: for discerning fine detai, hafmask RPE or scratch-/mist-resistant designs may be necessary. High temperatures or humidity: wearing RPE increases heat stress, sweating and discomfort. Using fan-assisted or compressed suppied-air BA can hep; proprietary cooing devices are avaiabe from RPE manufacturers. Extreme cod: air fow associated with fanassisted or compressed air-suppied BA can cause chiing; proprietary heating devices are avaiabe from RPE manufacturers. Communication: a RPE affects communication and speciaist devices may be necessary. Mobiity over arge areas: traiing hoses can drag, snag or be a trip hazard. Potentiay exposive atmosphere: intrinsicay safe, ight-aoy free and antistatic RPE is required. Reevant medica conditions: for exampe caustrophobia, heart disease, asthma. Summary issues Is PPE appropriate for the risks invoved and the conditions at the pace where exposure to the risk may occur? Does it prevent or adequatey contro the risks invoved without increasing the overa eve of risk? Can it be adjusted to fit the wearer correcty? Has the state of heath of those who wi be wearing it been taken into account? What are the needs of the job and the demands it paces on the wearer? For exampe, consider the ength of time the PPE needs to be worn, the physica effort required to do the job and the requirements for visibiity and communication. If more than one item of PPE is being worn, are they compatibe? For exampe, does a particuar type of respirator make it difficut to get eye protection to fit propery? Because PPE is the ast resort after other methods of protection have been considered, it is important that users wear it a the time they are exposed to the hazard. Where possibe, choose equipment where the different forms of protection required are integray combined (e.g. eye, face, head and respiratory protection provided by a fan-assisted hemet respirator). 30

33 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Site faciities Food and water The quaity of food shoud be guaranteed, from its source, through transport, storage, and the cooking or preparation process. If ambient temperatures are high, extra vigiance is necessary to avoid deterioration or infection. Extra caories are required whie working in extreme cod. Heavy work in both hot and cod cimates may ead to dehydration due to heavy sweating and responders shoud be encouraged to drink enough non-acohoic fuids to make urine coouress. Potabe water shoud be readiy avaiabe. (See IOGP-IPIECA, 2009.) The five keys to safer food 4 are: 1. Keep cean: wash hands, surfaces and equipment and protect kitchen areas from pests and animas. 2. Separate raw and cooked food. 3. Cook thoroughy. 4. Keep food at safe temperatures. 5. Use safe water and raw materias. Sanitation and persona hygiene faciities Potabe water, non-potabe water, toiets and persona hygiene faciities shoud be readiy avaiabe. The disposa of sewage and rubbish must be designed to protect the heath of humans as we as the environment. A high ambient temperature or humidity increases the risk of contamination from fies and other potentia infectious agents. Detais of the ocation of hygiene faciities shoud be contained on the site ayout pan. Decontamination Decontamination procedures Contaminated personne, equipment and vehices or vesses shoud be decontaminated in accordance with a decontamination pan which shoud incude: a description of the ocation and ayout of decontamination stations for the faciity; a ist of the decontamination equipment needed; the appropriate PPE for persons carrying out the decontamination; appropriate procedures for specific materias that may be encountered; methods and procedures for preventing secondary contamination of cean areas; 4 WHO 31

34 IPIECA IOGP methods and procedures for minimizing worker contact with contaminants during remova of PPE, and the provision of effective means of containment, recovery and storage of contaminants and used contamination iquids; safe disposa methods for cothing and equipment which are not competey decontaminated; and revisions whenever the site conditions change, or the faciity hazards are re-assessed based on the new information. Decontamination faciities Decontamination is best performed in a specific sequence to reduce eves of contamination on personne, PPE, equipment or transport unti no contaminant remains. Faciities shoud be estabished to dea with the waste from ceaning stations so it can be disposed of in an approved manner to prevent secondary poution. Movement of personne and equipment through the decontamination stations shoud be carefuy coordinated to reduce the possibiity of crosscontamination. Decontamination stations shoud take personne and equipment from the hot contaminated zone through a warm ceaning zone to the cod exit point from the operations area. Movement through these zones shoud be coordinated to reduce the possibiity of cross-contamination. Figure 2 Contamination zones 32

35 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Management of vounteers Vounteers wi frequenty offer their services to assist, either as part of the cean-up team or to assist with widife rescue. Vounteers are often inexperienced and untrained in spi response activity, so this resource can be both an asset and a iabiity if their use is not controed and insufficient care is given to safety and wefare. For this reason, safe use of vounteers needs carefu thought and panning. In some areas of the word, vounteers are prohibited from becoming invoved in the response activity uness they can demonstrate that they have undertaken forma safety training. In other countries it has proved impossibe to prevent the pubic from becoming invoved in the cean-up, and certain countries positivey encourage such assistance. Whichever phiosophica approach prevais, the key is to ensure safety, adequate communication and, where possibe, contro of the effort. If vounteers are used in a response activity, it shoud be in such a way that their safety is assured. Wherever possibe, vounteers shoud be used in activities that avoid or minimize direct contact with the oi. A specific training programme shoud be provided, identifying the risk and hazards, and how to avoid injury. Vounteers shoud aso be provided with appropriate PPE and integrated into the overa command structure to ensure that they have the benefit of safety information briefings. Vounteer activities must be propery coordinated, and safety aspects managed to assure the safety of the vounteers. Vounteer coordination Management of vounteers can be difficut as they can be focused on either their own oca environment or their own specific issues. To get the best out of a vounteer workforce a vounteer coordinator can be incuded as part of the response management team. The vounteer coordinator shoud be responsibe for managing and overseeing a aspects of vounteer participation, incuding recruitment, induction, training and assignment. A vounteer coordinator woud: coordinate with the response organization to determine where vounteers are needed; identify the oca skis that are avaiabe that can be usefuy empoyed; identify any necessary skis and training needs; verify minimum training required, as necessary, with safety manager or units requesting vounteers (if specia ski is required); activate, as necessary, standby contractors for suppementary training needs; coordinate nearby or on-site training as part of the depoyment process; identify and secure other equipment, materias and suppies; provide induction safety training for vounteers; activate pre-registered vounteers if needed; assess, train and assign vounteers to specific tasks; coordinate with the ogistics section for vounteer housing and mea arrangements; and assist vounteers with other specia needs. 33

36 IPIECA IOGP Vounteer responders If vounteers are to be used during the cean-up, they wi need to have attained an acceptabe eve of competence in cean-up techniques and safety. Training and supervision wi be needed from experienced personne that can be drawn from either the response team or from oca organizations. Widife vounteers Often, members of the pubic are distressed by the reports and sights of oied widife, and wi vounteer to assist. To minimize distress to the animas concerned, oied widife often needs specia handing by trained personne. In some parts of the word professiona organizations are avaiabe to treat and cean oied widife. Ideay, before vounteers are incuded in the response, they shoud receive professiona training and shoud be supervised during anima coection or subsequent ceaning operations. Logistics vounteers Some vounteers may offer to become invoved in the ogistics operation supporting the spi response. Their training needs wi depend upon the roe in which the vounteer is engaged. Some support activities woud not expose the vounteer to the risks associated with the cean-up and therefore ony basic training in the management structure of the response organization wi be required. These types of activities incude: ogistics (e.g. procurement, purchasing, inventory contro); transportation (e.g. carpoos, trucking); and personne services (e.g. odging, aundry). Food preparation and distribution Any vounteers offering to hep with, or being assigned to, food preparation and distribution shoud receive specific food hander training, or shoud provide certificated evidence of having undergone such training. First-aid squads Any vounteers offering to join first-aid squads must produce certificated evidence of training in first aid; without appropriate training, it is possibe that they may do more harm than good. Additiona information wi be avaiabe in the IPIECA-IOGP Technica Document on vounteer management. 34

37 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Concusions The ceaning up of spied oi is important, but not as important as ensuring the safety of those who are invoved, or who may be affected by the spi. The heath and safety of the pubic and the responders is a critica aspect of a successfu operation. The probem may not be a particuary compex one if numbers are sma, but, if mutipe sites, different egisative areas and hundreds or thousands of responders are invoved, robust panning and management is essentia. The risks are we known, and arise for the most part from the natura environment in which the operations are conducted rather than from the product itsef, particuary as the oi weathers and the ighter fractions evaporate. Conducting a risk assessment is essentia when preparing for the safe cean-up of oi foowing a spi, and shoud take into account the various operations and the different working environments that may be encountered. Response managers and supervisors shoud be trained in the use of risk assessments and have the necessary safety training to be abe to determine the hazards and put appropriate contro measures in pace. Responders shoud be provided with appropriate training and briefings to ensure that they are aware of the risks and how to dea with them. Communication of heath and safety issues is vitay important, as is the provision of appropriate PPE to workers. Considering potentia scenarios before an oi spi occurs, and using accident and iness information from previous spis, wi enabe companies to pan response operations in advance. It woud aso be prudent to set up reationships with appropriate responder organizations as we as with catering and medica contractors. This report identifies the key issues surrounding responder heath and safety, and is intended to provide guidance regarding the options avaiabe for carrying out safe cean-up operations. Hopefuy it wi assist in the estabishment of an effective response management system to protect responders, vounteers and the genera pubic. 35

38 IPIECA IOGP References and further reading ARPEL (2006). A Guide to In-situ Burning of Oi Spis on Water, Shore, and Land. ARPEL Environmenta Guideine. Regiona Association of Oi and Natura Gas Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARPEL), November Baker, A. and Ferguson, S. (2004). Work Design, Fatigue and Seep. A Resource Document for the Mineras Industry. Mineras Counci of Austraia, IPIECA (2002). Oi spi responder safety guide. IPIECA Oi Spi Report Series Voume 11 (Reprinted in 2005). NIOSH (2011). Heath Hazard Evauation of Deepwater Horizon Response Workers. (Fina Report, August 2011). IOGP-IPIECA (2007). Managing fatigue in the workpace: a guide for oi and gas industry supervisors and occupationa heath practitioners. IOGP report 392. IOGP-IPIECA (2008). Heath aspects of work in extreme cimates: a guide for oi and gas industry managers and supervisors. IOGP report 398. IOGP-IPIECA (2009). A guide to food and water safety for the oi and gas industry. IOGP report 397. IOGP-IPIECA (2011). Managing heath for fied operations in oi and gas activities. IOGP report 343. OLF (2012). Deepwater Horizon: Lessons earned and foow-up. Section 4.4, The working environment and chemica exposure. Norwegian Oi Industry Association (OLF), June Ramsey, J.D., Burford, C.L., Beshir, M.Y. and Jensen, R.C. (1983). Effects of workpace therma conditions on safe work behavior. Journa of Safety Research. 14:

39 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Appendix 1: Exampe site safety briefing sheet Incident: Site Name: Date: Briefing Conducted by: Project Code: Location/Map Ref.: Time: Topics Covered: Weather conditions Injuries and inesses Corrective actions/precautions First aid Site emergency pan Site hazards Oi/chemica hazards PPE to be worn Decontamination procedures Other topics (ist beow) Comments: 37

40 IPIECA IOGP Appendix 2: Exampe site safety survey checkist 1. SITE: 2. DATE: 3. TIME: 4. INCIDENT: 5. PRODUCT(S): (Attach MSDS) 6. Site Characterization (tick a reevant boxes): 6a. Area: Ocean Bay River Satmarsh Mudfats Shoreine Sandy Rocky Ciffs Docks 6b. Use: Commercia Industria Farming Pubic Government Recreationa Residentia Other 7. Weather: Ice/frost Snow Rain Wind Sun Temperature 8. Site Hazards: Bird handing Boat safety Chemica hazards (to skin) Cod Drum handing Eectrica hazards Endemic diseases Equipment operations Fatigue Fire, exposion, in-situ burn Fumes, vapours, gases Heat Heicopter operations Humidity Insects/animas Lifting Manua handing Motor vehices Noise Overhead/buried utiities Pumps and hoses Sips, trips and fas Steam and hot water Tides Trenches, excavations UV radiation Visibiity Weather Work near water Other (specify overeaf) 9. Air Monitoring: O 2 LEL Benzene H 2 S Other (specify overeaf) 10. Persona Protective Equipment: Foot protection Coveras Head protection Impervious suits Eye protection Persona fotation Ear protection Respirators Hand protection Other 11. Site Faciities Required: Sanitation First Aid Decontamination 12. Emergency Pan Requirements: Aarm system Evacuation pan 13. Contact Detais Required: Fire Doctor Ambuance Poice Hospita Other (specify overeaf) 14. Date Pan Competed: 15. Pan Competed by: Continued 38

41 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Site Name: Location/Map Reference: Incude work zones, first-aid ocations, primary and secondary escape routes, assemby points, staging area and command post ocations. Aso incude notes to entries marked Other on the previous page. 39

42 IPIECA IOGP Appendix 3 Exampe gas testing record sheet 40

43 OIL SPILL RESPONDER HEALTH AND SAFETY Acknowedgements We are very gratefu to the foowing organizations for their contributions to this document: American Petroeum Institute (API) Austraian Marine Oi Spi Response Centre (AMOSC) Internationa Tanker Owners Poution Federation (ITOPF) Oi Spi Response Limited (OSRL) UK Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) US Department of Labor Occupationa Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA) US Nationa Institute for Occupationa Safety and Heath (NIOSH) US Nationa Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 41

44 IPIECA is the goba oi and gas industry association for environmenta and socia issues. It deveops, shares and promotes good practices and knowedge to hep the industry improve its environmenta and socia performance; and is the industry s principa channe of communication with the United Nations. Through its member ed working groups and executive eadership, IPIECA brings together the coective expertise of oi and gas companies and associations. Its unique position within the industry enabes its members to respond effectivey to key environmenta and socia issues. IOGP represents the upstream oi and gas industry before internationa organizations incuding the Internationa Maritime Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regiona Seas Conventions and other groups under the UN umbrea. At the regiona eve, IOGP is the industry representative to the European Commission and Pariament and the OSPAR Commission for the North East Atantic. Equay important is IOGP s roe in promugating best practices, particuary in the areas of heath, safety, the environment and socia responsibiity. IPIECA-IOGP 2012 A rights reserved.